A Father's Love
by 1Pagan3
Summary: Preseries. Teen!chesters. John takes the boys on a simple camping trip to celebrate a successful hunt and to have some downtime with his boys, but nothing ever seems to go according to plan, does it? Sammygirl1963 and darksupernatural, I hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is the response to a challenge given to me by Sammygirl1963 and darksupernatural for a loving!John. The criteria is: The story can be either wee! or teen!chesters, John has to take the boys camping (no guilt involved to get him to do it), must have some sort of 'fugly creature' which John must find and fight it get his boys back, and still manage to contain - a campire scene with smores involved, hurt!dean while protecting Sammy, and a hug scene between John, Dean and Sammy. WHEW! Either they have alot of faith in my abilities to pull it off or are snickering in the wings right now, huh? lol! Ok, enough... I accept said challenge, let's see if I can pull it off.

Disclaimer: Yeah, I own Supernatural, the Winchesters and of course the Impala... and I also have my fingers and toes crossed. Jeez people, are you kidding? Of course I don't own them... it's all Kripke and company, all the time!

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John looked in the rearview mirror and smiled at his boys, both using each other as pillows in the backseat. They had left Minneapolis earlier in the day after a very in depth discussion with Sammy's doctor, a doctor who had initially said that his boy was ready to be released as long as he stayed home and rested; meaning no rough housing, no excitement, no long term reading. Obviously the doc didn't know his son, which had led to the other part of the scenario – his oldest. Before he had even had a chance to open his mouth to ask the man about the restrictions, Dean had beat him to it and what came out of the kindly man's mouth, solidified his decision – well, that and knowing there was only one way he was going to get his youngest to agree to any time away from school.

"_Hey Sammy, you know I've been thinking. We haven't had any down time lately and an actual vacation in… well, you know I can't think of a time we all went on a vacation. So, how about you, me and Dean pack up and head out for a week or so into Canada. There's an area that a buddy back home used to tell me about and I'm sure it's still as beautiful as it was. How about we go find out together?" he asked, knowing that he was about to get an argument, but knowing that he had to make sure that his boy took some time to heal. _

_Sammy looked between his brother and his dad and didn't know what to say. He could tell that Dean was completely on board with it, which made him wonder what was really going on. Sure, he had a headache, but come on… he did just tumble head over heels down a ravine into a creek bed courtesy of his feet. "Dad, we don't have to. I mean, I'm sure that there's something that we can…"_

"_Sammy, we all need to take a bit of time and enjoy ourselves. We all did a great job today, especially you. I wasn't thinking about the closets when we were setting up the banishing spells, that was quick thinking. So, I think we deserve a reward, just the three of us. How about it?" John asked, hoping… no, praying that he hadn't pushed too much, because he knew that was the quickest way to a shut down. When he saw the smile though, he knew he hit pay dirt and it took everything he had not to whoop in joy that what he planned had actually worked._

He hadn't been lying to Sammy when he said that he'd done a great job, if anything he hadn't praised him hard enough. Neither he nor Dean had thought to check to make sure there wasn't anything binding the spirit to the house, but Sammy did and found the plain ornament that had been given to the young bride as a wedding gift. The memory of seeing the bright light and knowing that the spell had worked and the spirit had finally been sent off would fade after time, but the look on his boys' faces when they left that house would last until the day he died – they both were happy; happier than either had been in awhile.

The incident that had them rushing off to the ER less than an hour later had been an unexpected damper on the mood, but one that couldn't have been avoided. A ravine that led down to an empty creek bed had given way at the very moment Sammy had tried to regain his footing after tripping over a root, causing the kid to tumble down to the bottom and crash his head into some stones. He wouldn't have worried about it so much except Sammy couldn't put two coherent words together to let them know if he was fine or not. The concussion diagnosis hadn't been a surprise, but the doctor's recommendation was – no school for at least a week. _Yeah, easier said than done._

Admittedly, he had already been thinking about a little bit of downtime for them. They didn't take vacations like other families, but with what they did it was often easy to forget that everyone needed a chance to remember _why_ they did what they did. Sure, it wouldn't be too long before he and Sammy were butting heads too much to agree to anything, especially vacations… but for right now, he'll take what he can get, because if his gut was right, the road was going to become dark and lonely soon enough.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he took another look at his boys and smiled. Right now, he just wanted to be their dad; the rest would just have to wait.

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The town of Minaki, Ontario as more of a resort town, but for once that didn't deter the Winchesters. Today they were going to make the most out of everything they could before they decided whether to try an easy trail followed by camping, or possibly renting a cabin close by. Of course any decisions were going to have to wait until after they ate – so decided by the unanimous growling of the three stomachs inside the Impala.

After finding a place to park, they walked to the town square and decided to let their noses point the way. It didn't take long for Dean and Sammy to overrule their dad as soon as they smelled something that they hadn't had since leaving Maine over a year ago – _real_ clam chowder. Normally they would have avoided it like the plague since the town was so far inland, but there was something so amazingly familiar that they had to try it.

John laughed at his boys as they tripped into the small, neat restaurant and followed them both to a booth in the corner. It was good to see them both happy, especially Sammy. He'd been worried for awhile that his sudden involvement in the family business was too much for him, but now he knew that it was mainly because his little boy's heart still hadn't hardened enough yet to shield him from the pain of losing an innocent life that was entrusted to you. It was a hard lesson, one that he had hoped Dean wouldn't have learned so early, but that was a moot point now – his oldest boy was a hardened hunter with three main focus' in his life: Sammy, the Impala, and girls – yes, in that order, no matter how much it looked like girls would have been number one on the list.

"Hey Dad, weren't you going to… you know…" Dean said slyly while trying to give a hint towards his little brother without being too obvious.

Seeing Sammy's curious look, John was about to answer, but the waitress came by and interrupted his train of thought, leaving him a little shocked at the question that his youngest was tossing at her.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if your cook is from Maine?" Sammy asked, trying not to seem to out of place in asking something so bizarre.

The waitress thought a moment before smiling and shaking her head. "No, not Mike… but Sally the owner is. She said she had run into some trouble where she's from and decided to see how she could do here. Why sweetie, she a friend of yours, eh?"

Dean smiled before ruffling his brother's hair. "Nah, just a fan of her chowder. Sammy here smelt it a mile away and couldn't stop talking about it. Isn't that right squirt?" he asked while chucking.

"Jerk!" Sammy said with a huge smile on his face. He might still be tired, but he was having a great time and couldn't believe that they were in a place like this without someone either being possessed or it being haunted.

"Sammy son, I was hoping… well, you see your brother and I were talking and we thought you'd like to have this." John said as he passed an envelope across the table.

Sammy looked at the envelope before turning to his brother and back to his dad. Not knowing what else to do, he opened it and saw that it contained a photo. Pulling it out, he gasped softly as he reverently looked at it, allowing everything else fall away. It was a picture of his mom and dad together, with his dad still in his fatigues. They looked so happy, and his mom was so beautiful. He didn't realize he had started crying until he felt his brother's thumb wiping them away. Looking up, he suddenly felt extremely embarrassed. "Sorry." He muttered before taking another quick glance and gently placing the picture back into the envelope.

"Son, you don't have anything to be sorry about. I… we want you to have that picture, ok? We know you'll take good care of it." John said as he watched his youngest son attempt to get control over his emotions. He hadn't meant to upset the boy, and was even now wondering if he'd done the right thing.

"Thanks Dad… Dean. It's the best present I could have ever gotten… and it's not even my birthday!" Sammy said through his tears. Now he had something all his own that would remind him of his mother; now he'd never forget what she looked like.

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AN: Well, there's chapter one and I haven't mangled anyone yet... not quite a record, right? What do you mean Sammy? Hey... so totally not my fault... I didn't do it... I swear... (walks off muttering) stupid root/ravine/creekbed....


	2. Chapter 2

AN: This one's a bit slow, but hopefully you'll enjoy it anyway. Take care!

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The room was quiet save for the soft sound of Sammy sleeping. Both John and Dean quietly walked around the small loft in the effort to give the youngest member of their family the extra rest he obviously needed. Neither had expected how quickly the kid would doze off after eating most of his lunch, but they both acted quickly to make sure he didn't hurt himself in the process. In fact, it was their quick thinking in keeping Sammy from face planting into the restaurant's floor that brought Sally out from the back and helped them out.

_"Well, if it isn't my favorite ghost busters." She said cheerfully in her thick New England accent, leaving them to think about what she said before smiling in return._

_John nodded slightly as he made sure his youngest was alright, just worn out from the trip. "Hey Sally, long time no see. I'd love to stick around and chat, but…"_

_As Sally looked down at the youngest Winchester her eyes widened. "Oh my, little Sammy… just what have you gotten yourself into." She said before motioning them to follow. "I've got a few empty rooms upstairs. Bring him on now; poor tike's worn out no doubt. Don't you believe in vacations Winchester?"_

_Laughing, John made sure that Dean had Sammy before they followed the woman up the stairs. "Funny you should mention that."_

It hadn't take Sammy long to wake up slightly, fully embarrassed that he had fallen asleep at the table, but he finally calmed down when he saw that all he saw in his dad's face was worry. Now they were waiting for him to wake up once again so they could have dinner downstairs with Sally and her family. Hopefully being around other people for a couple hours wouldn't tire him out even more.

"Dean, I was thinking. If Sammy's not up to leaving for the cabin tomorrow morning, maybe we should get him checked out. I know the doctor said he'd get tired easily, but…"

"…but this is ridiculous. Yeah Dad, I think you're right. Hopefully he'll be ok after he eats some more… the kid's scrawny enough as it is." Dean said, trying to add some levity with his tone, but noticed it sounded flat even to his own ears, the doctor's warnings echoing through his brain.

Smiling sadly, John had to agree. It was bad enough that Sammy wasn't even as tall as other twelve year olds, but most of the time he looked too thin for his own body; and that was on a good day. As he watched his boy sleep he had to wonder once again about the path he'd chose all those years ago. He knew it was too late to go back to what once was, but he did have to wonder just what harm this ongoing hunt for Mary's killer was really doing.

The sound of movement coming from the bed released the breaths the elder Winchester men hadn't known they were holding. Neither wanted to voice their concerns anymore, they both were determined to make sure that their fears where ignored for as long as possible.

"Dean?" Sammy muttered sleepily not able to see much in the darkened room with the glare of the setting sun cutting through the glass and straight into his eyes.

"Right here Sammy. How ya feeling?" Dean asked, already moving to the bed with a glass of cold water in his hands.

Sammy hummed slightly, showing that he wasn't fully awake, but was definitely moving in the right direction. He remembered eating and little bit about waking up in a strange room, but it wasn't too clear and he had to wonder what else had happened. Before he had a chance to ask though, he felt the bed he was on dip heavily.

"Hey Sammy, how are you feeling son?" John asked as he placed his hand on Sammy's forehead before running his fingers through his boy's hair.

'Confused.' Sammy thought a moment before drinking the water Dean offered. "Uh…ok?"

Dean laughed lightly before squeezing his brother's shoulder. "Yeah, right. Dad and I were about to wake you up so we could get something to eat downstairs, and it's time for your meds again, so how about you wake up sleepyhead so we can get a move on."

John sat and stared at Dean in shock. They hadn't been planning on waking Sammy, in fact quite the opposite; then he understood and played along. "Yeah kiddo, it's time to get up and see if you can eat a whole bowl of chowder this go round."

Smiling slightly, Sammy nodded and slowly swung his legs around before sitting there staring into space for a moment. Lost in his own little world, he missed the growing concern in his family's faces.

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The table was full of plates which Sally had insisted they have as soon as she found out just how under the weather Sammy had been. She had never forgotten what they had done for her in her previous home and it was the only way she could think of to repay them.

As she watched them from across the room she couldn't help but admire the family as a whole. Oh sure, John was an ass as much as an asset, but the strength he exuded was warning enough to people close by not to mess with his kids. She remembered meeting the boys for the first time and wondered what they thought they were going to be able to do; Sammy being so small, and Dean barely out of puberty. Sure, she can admit when she's wrong – and she was. The boys did as good of a job as their father and she gained a new level of respect for them as young men as well as hunters.

Now little Sammy was ailing due to a concussion, and what was it John admitted, possible complications. Now if that didn't suck the wind out of her sails she didn't know what would. Being around fishermen her whole life, she was used to 'complications' ranging from clots to seizures, and each time she heard that word her blood ran cold. So, she had decided it was her calling in life at the moment to make sure that young boy didn't have 'complications' and became the strong, healthy boy she met before.

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Dean wasn't sure what was really going on. One minute it seemed like his little brother was back, the next an almost stranger was sitting next to him. He didn't blame Sammy, only the damn concussion that was putting the strain on his family, especially Sammy.

The doctor had warned them that with this type of injury, mood swings and confusion were common and would go away in time. What had him concerned though was how Sammy's blood pressure would spike at times, leaving them all to worry about what it could mean. Finally, the doc had noticed a pattern and issued the order of 'no excitement, roughhousing, or reading for long periods of time', which would be hard enough if Sammy was his normal self, but with this new version popping up at times, it was a crap shoot as to how a suggestion would be taken. As long as they could keep him calm while he healed, the doc was sure the quirky blood pressure issue would pass. Sure, no problem.

Sighing, he watched Sammy finally finish his bowl of chowder and begin working on a cookie, while hoping that nothing would ruin their time off, if for no other reason than his little brother's sake.

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He wasn't feeling very good, but if he said anything, he knew it would ruin the nice time they were having in Sally's restaurant. For once he wanted to just sit back and not worry about anything, but unfortunately that was just making him worry more. As he looked between his dad and brother he knew they were more concerned about him than anything else, but instead of being comforted by it, it scared him. Was this how it was always going to be; not knowing if they were there because they wanted to be, or if they had to be?

Eating his cookie quietly, he made an effort to keep it down as another wave of dizziness passed over him. He didn't want to be a burden anymore, he just wanted things back to normal – he wanted to be better.

"Dad, we're still going camping tonight, right? He asked, hoping that he hadn't ruined everything. Seeing both his dad and brother pause, he knew he had to act fast. "If we left now, we could probably find a site before it got too dark."

John and Dean looked at each other before turning their attention back to Sammy. Neither one knew how to answer him, but they both knew that something was going on in that overactive brain of his; neither one were willing to risk a meltdown at the moment.

Looking out the window, John gauged how long it would be before it became too dangerous to maneuver anywhere and came to the conclusion that they could probably get a fire started and finish setting up camp before it became too dark to see. Smiling, he nodded.

"You betcha kiddo. If you're done, we can grab a few things then head out." He said, giving Dean a cautionary look that said they could discuss it later. Seeing the happiness on his boy's face, he missed the other emotion that flittered across his face as well – relief.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey everyone, I'm back from New Mexico and just had to update this one. I know, I know, I have sooooo many others to do - I haven't forgotten any of them, I promise! I hope you all like this one... and uh, don't hate me at the end, ok?

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After consulting with a few of the townspeople and gathering enough supplies for a couple of days, John packed the Impala and waited for Dean and Sammy to return to the car. He wasn't sure this was the smartest move he'd made in awhile, but he wasn't going to back out this time – not when it seemed like things were starting to smooth out between him and his boys.

Thinking about the last several months, he knew he'd been more than unfair but if his boys knew what he'd actually been dealing with – that not everything that held evil was demonic – he knew that Dean would be more than willing to jump in with both feet and not look back; leaving both his boys exposed to the dangers of that night so many years ago. No, it was better for them to worry about the creatures of the supernatural than the evils of man – at least for now. For now though, he too wasn't going to worry about it. Right now he was going to concentrate on his boys, and make sure his youngest recovered fully before finding a new place for them to go and start over – again.

"Hey Dad, miss us?" Dean asked as he and Sammy walked up to the car. He had noticed a far off look on his dad's face and knew what it normally meant – another move. This time though he had already decided that he'd fight his old man on this one – his little brother needed some rest, not more aggravation.

John smiled and looked at both sons. Dean was tall and fit at sixteen with a determination to keep his family safe at all costs. Sammy might be small, but he was quick in both body and mind. Both his boys made a great team and were best friends, and he felt sorry for anyone or anything that might try to change that. Tossing Dean the keys his smiled broadened, "Hey kiddo, how about you drive while I take a nap in the back. The map is on the front seat, Sammy."

Looking at Dean, Sammy sent a silent question that seemed to be sent right back to him before they both looked back at their dad. Seeing that this wasn't some sort of weird test, they both smiled before getting in the front seat and waited until their dad was settled in the back before Dean started the Impala and groaned in happiness at the sound of her engine coming to life.

"Dean," Sammy whined, "it's just a car… not a girl." He loved to tease his brother about his fixation on the one and only stable thing in their lives – he wasn't about to admit just how much the thought of ever losing the Impala actually scared him.

Making a tsking noise, Dean shook his head. "Sammy, Sammy, Sammy, what am I going to do with you?" he asked before snapping his fingers. "I got it – maybe I'll stuff you in trunk … right next to the tire."

Seeing Dean's smile, Sammy tried to think of a great come back, but his brain wasn't working like it normally does so he settled for his old standby, "Jerk."

Dean laughed before ruffling his brother's hair. "Bitch!"

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The trails they had been sent to was only ten minutes away, and the path they chose took them far enough away within another fifteen minutes that they found a clearing still secluded amongst the trees that they felt they could still be alone but not be too far away if Sammy began to feel ill. Sammy made the fire while John and Dean set up their one worn tent and arranged their gear to ensure that nothing would get to their youngest member before going through them.

With a decent fire going to give them warmth against the chill and light against the night, the Winchester men allowed themselves a chance to sit back and enjoy the sheer pleasure of doing nothing. The fire crackled, and the wind blew gently in the trees, while the stars shone brightly, giving them all a sense of peace that they hadn't realized they'd been lacking until they finally got it.

"Hey Sammy… would you go get that small sack next to the ice chest?" John asked while taking another look at the stars. He'd learned how to navigate by the stars when he was in the Marines during the war, a tool that had proven useful on many hunts in recent years, now though, he was just watching the beauty of it and wondering what the sky would look like in another lifetime – would they be different at all?

"Here you go Dad." Sammy said quietly as he held out the paper sack.

Nodding, John smiled and looked at Dean. "Did you get what I told you to?"

"Dude… right here!" Dean responded as he reached behind him and pulled out three long skinny sticks. "Perfect, don't you think?" he asked, obviously pleased with himself.

Puzzled, Sammy stood and watched his family as if they both had lost their minds. It wasn't until Dean jumped up and patted his shoulder that he was starting to get a clue that he was really missing something.

"C'mon Sammy, let's eat!" Dean said as he pulled his little brother and the sack closer to the fire. "Well, c'mon, hand over those marshmallows."

Not sure he heard his brother correctly; Sammy stood a moment before actually taking a second to look inside the bag he was carrying. Graham crackers, a bag of marshmallows, and several chocolate bars. Looking back up at his brother he wondered what was going on when he heard his dad behind him.

"S'mores, Sammy. Don't tell me you've never had them before?" John asked, but seeing the question in his son's eyes he realized just how badly this could go. He was sure he had the treat with his boys before, but now that he thought about it – he'd had them with Dean on one of the few times they'd gone training without Sammy. Sighing, he understood just where that left them. "Huh, well then I guess that's one thing your old man has left to teach you, right?" he asked as he maneuvered his youngest son towards the fire and took the bag. "Ok, first… you need to pick out the right type stick. I know, you're thinking that any stick will do, but that's where you're wrong. You need to make sure it's not too thick, otherwise it'll take up most of your marshmallow… but if it's too thin, it'll catch fire itself. Now, put the marshmallow on the stick and put it close to the fire until it's done enough."

"Hey Sammy, look!" Dean yelled as he pulled his stick back out to show a completely enflamed ball clinging to the stick he was holding. "Yuuuuuum!" he enthused as he blew the flame out and immediately devoured the remaining bit of goo right off the stick.

"Ugh… Dean!" Sammy whined, clearly disgusted with his brother's antics. Seeing that his dad was watching, he decided to give it a try, not fully understanding what the whole purpose of this exercise was. As he watched though, he became mesmerized by how quickly the marshmallow browned. Pulling it out of the fires edge, he looked expectantly up at his dad who was smiling.

"That's good Sammy. Ok, how about we finish it off now? S'mores are built, and like with anything that's built, there's a certain way to do it. You have the graham cracker, marshmallow, chocolate, graham cracker."

"Or…" Dean interrupted, "graham cracker, chocolate, marshmallow, graham cracker. Personally, I think mine's better!"

Sammy looked at both his brother and his dad and noticing how serious they both seemed, decided that they were both off their rockers. Sighing, he decided that he'd play along until they both regained some sense of sanity. Digging out a cracker and a piece of chocolate, he managed to get them lined up with his one hand while still holding onto his stick with the other. Placing the marshmallow on top of the chocolate, he ignored Dean's enthusiastic cheer while he finished it off by placing the other half of the cracker on top and looked at it dubiously. One final look at his dad and brother and he bit into it, only to be surprised at how great it really tasted.

"Ooooh coooool" he mumbled through his mouth full of s'more.

John laughed as he watched his youngest son enjoy something so simple, wondering why he never thought to give that little pleasure to his boy sooner. Pushing that thought behind him, he joined in the fun and soon they all were vying for the best position in the fire for 'optimal marshmallow performance.'

It didn't take long before the Winchester men were turning the bag upside down in the attempt to find the last remaining chocolate bar, only to find the last half was sitting right next to Sammy.

"Holding out on us kiddo?" Dean asked as he made to reach for the last piece of chocolate.

"Not so fast Dean," John said as he intercepted his eldest boy, "I'm thinking that the last piece should go to one providing the feast in the first place." He said with a wide smile as he reached for the foil covered item only to have it snatched by Sammy at the last moment.

Staring at his brother and dad in shock, he suddenly felt like the last cookie in a room full of Kindergarteners. "Uh… maybe we can share?" he asked as he slowly backed away.

"Oh no way little brother, hand it over." Dean said in a low growl, as he got ready to pounce. "You know you're going to." He said as he began to make his move, only to be tackled on the ground by a large moving force.

John couldn't help but jump into the foray that was about to happen, mainly because it was too hard to resist getting the chance to wrestle with his boys. Wanting to be careful of Sammy, he tackled Dean far enough to the side that there was no way his youngest would get caught in the middle, but still close enough he could still feel a part of the action.

"Uh uh son, you're not getting away that… that s'more's mine!" John teased as he and Dean rolled around on the ground, both enjoying the cheering they heard from Sammy.

Dean knew what his dad was playing at, and he couldn't agree more – anything to hear his little brother happy, especially after the tough time he'd been having lately. Not wanting to make it look like he was giving in too easily, he positioned himself to 'toss' his dad off, not expecting the weight to come off easily, he shoved a little extra and was surprised when his dad not only was pushed away, but went stumbling back – towards Sammy!

Seeing that Dean knew what he was planning, and expecting him to make it look good, John was ready for the shove even as he pushed himself back. What he hadn't been expecting though was his loss of bearings while wrestling and the direction he found himself going towards was the exact same spot his youngest was now squatting down while watching the show. Unable to stop, he could only pray he didn't hurt Sammy as he felt himself tumble over his smallest boy and finally stop on top of a fallen log.

"Oh my God – Dad!" Sammy yelled as he felt torn between who he needed to check on first. Feeling Dean's hand on his shoulder, he immediately ran towards their dad and rested on his knees next to him. "Dad… are you ok?" he asked, wondering how something like this could have happened.

Dean wasn't sure what to expect, but staring down at his dad to assess the situation hadn't been one of the things he'd been expecting to do while they had been horsing around. "Hey Dad, you ok?" he asked as he stepped over the log to tend to his dad, all the while watching Sammy for any signs of injury.

"Yeah Dude, I'm ok… help me up." John groaned. He didn't want to admit that his back hurt like hell, but he had the feeling that it was something he wasn't going to be able to hide. Allowing Dean to help him to his feet he immediately turned to Sammy. "You alright son?" he asked, knowing full well that something like this could actually set him back.

Nodding, Sammy watched sadly as Dean made an icepack and grabbed some pills from the first aid kit. Sighing, he wasn't sure what he should do – it was his fault his dad got hurt, but now he didn't know how to fix it. It wasn't until he heard Dean calling to him that he realized that he had spaced out again. Hating himself for that even more than being the one to ruin their trip, he looked up at his big brother.

"Hey Buddy, it's alright… Dad took a muscle relaxer and a couple of pain pills, so he'll be out tonight but ready to go tomorrow, ok?" Dean said, worry clearly clouding his voice as he looked Sammy over closely – these staring fits were starting to scare him. "How about you and me finish off the marshmallows? What… did you really think I didn't stash extra? C'mon dude, you know me better than that." Smiling, Dean led his little brother towards his knap sack and dug down deep until he found what he was looking for. It wasn't much, but he was determined that for the next couple of days, Sammy wasn't going to worry about anything… especially if he messed up or not.

As the night turned later, the two brothers sat close and exchanged stories while roasting marshmallows, secure in the knowledge that they were a part of each other and nothing was going to change that.

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The sun shone brightly the next morning over the campsite, shining through the opening in the tent and engulfing the lone occupant who began to stir from his drug induced sleep.

'Damn, I have to remember to let Dean know not to combine those two again.' John thought as he looked over and saw both sleeping bags were empty next to him. Taking another look he noticed they didn't look slept in, making him wonder if the boys had decided to sleep under the stars last night. Grunting he rolled to his knees and managed to get out of the tent before straightening and stretching his back. Pulling his arms over his head he stopped in mid stretch when his mind started processing what he was seeing. Their camp fire was out, but the remaining wood was strewn across their campsite. Dean's knapsack, the one that had his candy stash in it was torn in several places with bits of material scattered like confetti. Red patches were along the ground, the wood, even the tent, slamming what was missing into his brain like a freight train – Dean and Sammy!

"DEAN! SAMMY!" John yelled, praying that it was some careless joke his boys were playing, all the while knowing that something was terribly wrong. "BOYS!" he continued to yell as he searched for signs to what could have happened. What he saw away from their site made his blood run cold and sent him racing back to the Impala to get supplies, all the while wondering how this could have happened.

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AN: Hmmm... did I mention not to hate me at the end? yeah? ok, good... so, uh, you don't right? Don't worry, more on the way! Take care!!!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Well, it looks like I need to apologize once again for the ridiculously long wait - I hope you all can forgive me and that you still like me even after you get to the end of the chapter. Take care!

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Feeling as if he were being stretched in two different directions, Dean struggled to open his eyes only to hiss at the pain that his newfound awareness brought to his attention. He could already tell that wherever he was, it was dark and cold… not a combination that he liked on a decent day, and he was getting the distinct feeling that he wasn't having a decent day at all. Suddenly full awareness slammed into him and he forced his eyes open and looked around.

"Sammy!" he hissed, not sure if he was hoping to hear something or not. He would have loved to hear his little brother's voice, but that would have meant that Sammy had been taken too and possibly even…

"Damn it Sammy, if you're here you better be ok." he whispered as he looked up at his bound wrists and continued to struggle in the hopes of loosening the bindings that held him suspended from what looked to be a cave ceiling. Hearing something coming closer he stilled his movements and closed his eyes, hoping for the element of surprise. Although he still wasn't sure what he was going to be able to do the way he was tied up.

The cave was still and quiet except for the small movement that seemed to scurry closer to Dean, which puzzled him. Whatever it was definitely wasn't a mouse, but wasn't the creature that took him either. Not sure what to make of it, he forced himself to wait until…

"Dean…" Sammy whispered as he got closer to his brother. He didn't want to attract the attention of the Wendigo, but he felt fairly certain that the creature was far enough way at the moment that it wouldn't hear if he was really quiet and maybe blended in as much as possible.

Startled, Dean snapped his eyes open and stared at this little brother for a moment before letting loose a list of words that would have earned him a slap on the head if their dad ever heard him. Finally calming down he looked at Sammy closely and wondered just what the hell had happened.

"I tried to hide like you said Dean, but I couldn't let it… I couldn't let it hurt you anymore. It brought me with you, but left me at the entrance… I think it thought I was dead." Sammy said quietly as he reached up and gave his big brother a drink of water from a canteen he'd found. He'd already tried it and knew the water was fresh which meant there was someone else in here… somewhere. Seeing his brother's question he sighed, "I had one of my episodes again… I think it left me there to rot."

Hearing Dean cussing again, Sammy tried to calm his brother down. At the moment the creature seemed to think that Dean was by himself and he hoped to use it to their advantage.

Dean didn't care about the creature that had him trussed up like a Christmas goose; his main focus now was to get his little brother out of there before he got himself killed. "Sammy, get out of here, go find dad and…"

"Dean… dad will find us… it… it's leading him here. We need to get you out of here before that happens." Sammy said, worried about how he was going to get Dean down.

"Hey Sammy, don't worry, we'll figure something out, ok?" Dean said confidently. If anyone could come up with an idiotic plan that would somehow work, it was him, but one question started to plague his mind. "Sammy… how is it that it doesn't know you're here?"

"Uh… you really don't want to know Dean… please don't make me tell you." Sammy whispered miserably. He knew Dean would have a fit at what he'd done, but it was the only thing that made sense to him at the time… no matter how disgusting it was. Seeing how his brother was looking at him, he knew he didn't have a choice. "Ok I'll tell you, but you can't get mad… ok? I took the jacket off a body and then rolled around in the dirt."

Starting at Sammy, Dean wasn't sure what to say. Sure the whole cave smelt like death so he hadn't noticed any difference, but to think that his little brother was wearing _Odor de Cadaver_, well… it wasn't something that would ever help him sleep, that's for sure. He was just about to say something to that effect when he noticed Sammy's eyes and groaned… 'Ah c'mon kiddo… not now.' He thought as he heard something from one of the other chambers and it was getting closer.

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John didn't understand it… in fact, if someone had told him even a day ago that he would have messed up this badly, he'd have kicked that person's ass for the mere suggestion. However, it was a moot point now and all he could think about was how his failure to check things out ahead of time was the direct cause of this fiasco.

It hadn't taken too long to get to the trunk and get the supplies he knew he'd need, but it was the campsite that took him the longest. He could tell that his boys put up a hell of a fight - he could even see Sammy's shoe prints where he must have confronted the Wendigo after Dean had fallen. A mixture of pride and fear battled within him as a bloody scenario played out in his mind, one that he didn't like, one that meant that he could very well be alone in the world.

Aggravation turned to anger as he pushed away his paranoia and focused on the facts. There was a damn Wendigo on the loose and he was standing there wasting time mourning for his boys even though he didn't have a clue whether or not they were dead.

"Idiot!" he cursed himself as he trudged through the forest, following the blatant trail. "The boys are strong, they're fine." He muttered, even while trying to keep that damn doctor's voice from echoing through his brain. "Yeah well… we'll deal with any complications as they come up doc… until then, get out of my damn head!"

Satisfied that he could now focus on the task at hand, he set back out and rushed to where he knew his boys were; where he knew a trap lay.

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"Sammy… SAMMY!!!" Dean hissed loudly, snapping his brother out of his trance. "Get out of here, now!"

Shaking his head, Sammy knew he couldn't leave his big brother there by himself, so opted for the next logical step… he made himself into part of the scenery. Lying flat on the cave floor, up against the wall, he was in the darkest part of the chamber and easily fell into the shadows. Keeping his eyes as closed as possible, he vowed not to make a sound, no matter what happened. He had to stay strong for Dean; he couldn't let his brother down.

Dean couldn't believe his eyes, but refused to say anything that could possibly give Sammy's position away. Giving up the pretense of being asleep, he instead watched the creature advance upon him and waited until it was close enough before he kicked out with both feet, connecting with its chest.

"Get out of here, lunch isn't ready, so back the hell off!" Dean yelled, hoping to keep the damn fugly focused solely on him and nowhere close to Sammy. "That's right… go get your kick off some else's Route sixty - … ARGH!!!" he screamed as the creatures claws ripped through his abdomen, not once but twice, leaving eight long gashes across his stomach and torso. _Damn it hurt._ He would have been more concerned about the pain if it wasn't for the fact that his little brother had witnessed it, front row center, and that the damn thing left without doing anything else.

"Damn, that hurt Sammy." He said quietly, hoping to get a reaction out of his little brother, but anything else he had to say stuck in his throat as he noticed Sammy was staring at him with a glazed look, and his breathing seemed to be shallow pants. "Sammy? Come on kiddo… you can't give up on me now. Sammy? Sammy!"

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The trail was clear and he really had to wonder if the damn thing thought he was really this stupid or if it just lacked imagination. Chalking it up to the first option, he decided to use it to his advantage and veered off the path that it had laid out for him and blazed a trail of his own – one that would hopefully lure it away from his boys and into a trap that he needed to construct fast.

He found an area and began to etch the symbols at the base of the trees until he had almost a full circle, leaving enough of a pathway for him and the evil bastard to get through before he placed the last sigil in place that he was carrying in his pocket – a stone large enough to hold the aborigines symbol, but still small enough to carry without weighing him down. Now all he had to do was be the bait.

Loading his handgun with half packed rounds, he walked away from his trap, back towards the way he came and began to listen to the area around him. Finally the faint call hit his ears and if it wasn't for the fact that he knew what he was dealing with, he would have easily fallen for it.

"_Dad… Dad, please help us… Dean's hurt Daddy…"_

The sound of what was supposed the be his youngest son's voice came close to being his undoing, but before he allowed himself to call out, he reiterated to himself the position they were in. A wendigo was loose, it had the boys, it was fast, smart, cunning and could even mimic others.

"Sammy! Sammy son, where are you?" he called out as he turned around in circles as if really searching for where Sammy's yell was coming from. He heard the beginnings of another call, but tuned it out and instead fired his gun in the general direction before racing off to his own safe haven – all the while hoping his boys were alright, and that he could set the trap before being ripped apart.

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Dean wasn't exactly sure what to do, but he kept his constant chatter in hopes of convincing Sammy to come back to him. He wondered if this was it though… if this damn camping trip would be the very thing that would completely rip their family apart. He knew for a fact that if Sammy died, the rest of their family would too.

"Come on little brother… this narcolepsy thing you have going on here, it's getting a bit boring don't you think?" he asked quietly, hoping to gently coax Sammy back to the land of truly living and not borderline comatose. He was about to start on his x-rated playboy bunny jokes when he finally saw it – the slight twitch around Sammy's eyes. "That's it Sammy, come back to me little brother."

"Dean?" Sammy whispered while trying hard to get rid of the dryness in his mouth. He wasn't sure what exactly happened, but from the look of Dean's shirt, it couldn't have been good. "Dean? You ok?" he asked, knowing that it was the most idiotic question that he'd asked in quite awhile.

Smirking, Dean couldn't believe it. Here his little brother was fighting to stay healthy and the kid was asking how he was doing – unbelievable. "Yeah little brother, I'm doing just peachy. Although I'd be a lot better if you could help me down from here."

Nodding, Sammy struggled to sit up and swayed where he sat, but forced himself to ignore it – ignore Dean – because everything seemed to black out for a moment while he slowly stood. It took longer than he was really ready to admit, but he was finally able to force the darkness back and face his brother once again.

"Ok…uh… Dean, I can't reach your wrists, so how am I going to get you down?" he asked, as he stumbled slightly as he made his way to Dean's side.

Worried, Dean wasn't sure if this was the brightest idea he'd ever had, but he had to take the chance. If he didn't get Sammy out of there, who knew what damage would be done. Taking a deep breath he forced an encouraging smile.

"Hey Sammy, it's no problem. Take my boot knife, then climb up me like the koala bear you used to be and while those scrawny legs of yours are wrapped around me, take the knife and cut me lose. I swear I won't land on you, ok kiddo? But we really need to get out of here."

Horrified, Sammy looked into Dean's eyes before he looked at his brother's chest and stomach and knew there was no way he could do it without hurting Dean – his big brother, best friend and protector. Shaking his head, he slowly backed away, trying hard to ignore the tears building in his eyes as he faced one of his worst fears – hurting his brother.

Dean knew that look and couldn't help but feel the kid's pain, but this had to be done. He wasn't a moron, or a masochist, he knew it was going to hurt and he wasn't going to enjoy it, but it had to be done.

"Sammy, I want you to look at me. If you don't do this, that thing's going to come back, and whatever it has in mind for me is going to be a whole hell of a lot worse than what your anorexic little ass can do. So pull the knife out of my boot, and get to climbing!"

Trying to stifle the sniffle that was doing its best to escape, Sammy reached under his brothers pant leg and pulled out the knife, all the while wishing there was another way to do this. He could tell that the wounds weren't bleeding anymore, but he also knew that when he started, they could possibly rip worse than what they were now. Looking up into his brother's eyes, he could see the faith Dean had in him and he prayed that he didn't let him down.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Ok, it looks like we've come to the end of another story and like I said before, you all can thank Sammygirl1963 for this since it was her challenge that spurred me to do it. Now remember the criteria given to me, and I do believe I've accomplished every single one. Now, on a totally different note... 1) I do not endorse starting a fire in a wooded area without taking the proper precautions, however I'm sure the character who does it can be forgiven... this once, right? 2) Tramatic Brain Injuries are nothing to fool around with, and some of the symptoms mentioned are from what I've witnessed from my son... I am not a doctor, nor would I claim to be a medical expert, just someone whose observant to certain things. However, I didn't want to dwell on it too much either, since that's not the point of the story. With all that said, I'd like to thank everyone's support during this story and I hope you've liked it as much as I have. Take care!!!

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John ran as fast as his legs could carry him, but he could hear the creature playing with him as if he were a toy to be batted or herded around; and if he was completely honest, he'd admit that it gave him a demented sort of thrill. Although he knew the wendigo was planning on attacking any moment, he was determined to have the trap set and the creature dead before it could turn the tables on him.

The blow was sudden and it took him a moment to fully understand that he wasn't on his feet anymore. He managed to stay conscious, but it was only barely as everything seemed to dip and waver around him. Seeing movement to the side, he was able to narrowly avoid the long claws that came bearing down upon him. Seeing his opportunity, he staggered between the trees while attempting to find his location once again.

'Damn it.' He cursed silently, trying hard not to become chow for the monster that was currently chasing him, but at the moment he was really wondering how he was going to lead the bastard without getting caught in his own trap.

Finally the area took a familiar turn, and he would have breathed a sigh of relief if it wasn't for the fact that the damn creature wasn't acting according to plan. Groaning, he doubled back far enough to give the appearance that he was still looking for Sammy, but in all actuality he was trying to line up the best way to get it to follow him straight through, otherwise it would know what he was doing and he couldn't have that.

Bursting through the entrance, he immediately dodged to the side as he watched the wendigo leap from above him swiping its claws on its decent towards his head.

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Dean watched Sammy carefully, knowing that what he was asking was difficult, not because he didn't think that his brother could do it, but that it was going to take too much of a toll on him.

It took only another moment before Sammy wiped away the tears that had formed and reached confidently for his big brother's knife. He knew that he had to hurry, he had to get Dean down before the creature came back – his only hesitation was the knowledge that he was going to be the reason for the pain Dean was about to suffer.

"It's ok Sammy, you take your time little brother, ok?" Dean said quietly. He knew they needed to hurry, but there was no way he was going to lay more on his baby brother's shoulders – the kid had been through too much as it was. "Sammy?"

"It's ok Dean… I… I can do it. Just… uh… give me a sec, ok?" Sammy begged quietly. If he was going to do this, then Dean needed to be quiet… or at least not talk to him. It was one thing to use his brother as a rope; it was another for the rope to make conversation. "Ok, I'm ready… but Dean, please… please try not to talk. And… and I'm really sorry for this."

Puzzled, Dean was trying to figure out what Sammy was apologizing for when suddenly he had his little brother's full weight on him and it took everything he had not to cry out. He understood instantly why Sammy didn't want him talking him through it; he knew it would have made the task more difficult. Right now though all he could think about was how as soon as they were free he was going to make sure his little brother knew exactly how proud of him he was.

The task took longer than initially planned, as Sammy had to keep his legs firmly wrapped around Dean's ribcage while at the same time trying to keep his balance and the majority of his weight off his brother as he used one hand to hold onto the rope above their heads while using his other to do the actual cutting. It wasn't easy as every groan made Sammy pause and take another steadying breath before resuming the arduous task of freeing his brother without slitting his wrists.

Taking a deep breath, Dean knew they were close because of the small shift in his bindings, but his concern was elsewhere and his _Samdar_ was starting to go haywire. All through this Sammy didn't make a sound, would instead periodically pause before taking another breath and started again. He had been watching Sammy carefully and knew that his little brother was spent but refused to give up. His chest would have puffed out with pride if he wasn't suddenly hitting the ground.

"Damn it!" Dean groaned as he tried hard to breathe past the pain, he had other worries to deal with. When he was able to draw in a lungful of air again he was able to focus once again and his gaze instantly went to Sammy's face and groaned again, this time in deep concern. "Aw Sammy…"

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Rolling out of the path of the descending claws, John was sure he had completely cleared them when he heard the distinct sound of rending material. Ignoring the possibility that he might have actually gotten cut, he dove back through the opening and quickly placed the rock into place that completed the protective circle – only this time… it was going to keep the damn bastard in.

The roaring from the creature echoed through the forest, but John stood firm and smirked at the irate creature. Knowing that it was trapped, but not wanting to take chances, he unfastened his pack and immediately pulled the flare gun out. He knew he probably wouldn't be able to hit it if he shot at it; he smiled as he pulled out the other tool in his pack – a large container of lighter fluid. Dousing the inside of the circle was done quickly and efficiently, with only a small attempt at hitting the creature before he fired the flare gun into the middle and watched it set off the blaze that he knew would kill the very thing that took his boys.

He turned and quickly found the way they'd come and he looked carefully for signs of which direction the wendigo had actually come from. Taking his time, he worried about his boys, but he knew if he hurried, he could overlook something. Forcing himself to slow down, he focused all his energy on tracking his now deceased prey in hopes of finding Dean and Sammy. All the while praying he wasn't too late.

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Dean moved closer to Sammy and nudged his little brother's shoulder. "Come on Sammy… come back to me little brother." The vacant stare was more than a little unsettling, but it was the length of time that had him the most concerned – it seemed to be taking longer for his brother to come back and it was more than freaking him out.

After pulling his knife out of Sammy's hands, Dean worked to freeing his wrists before turning his brother onto his back to check him for injuries. Although he didn't see anything new, he couldn't get rid of the feeling that they were missing something. Placing his hand over his little brother's heart he waited for recognition, confident that Sammy would come back to him again – there was no other option.

It wasn't long before Sammy began to blink, gaining focus once again on his worried brother's face.

"Sorry Dean." He said quietly as he began to move his fingers to begin his own inventory to make sure everything was in working order. Seeing the question in Dean's face he smiled wanly. "You know… for spacing out again. I don't mean to."

"Dude… don't worry about it. You're tired, it's to be expected. Tell you what though, as soon as we're out of here, we're hitting the nearest hospital to make sure nothing else is going on." Dean said firmly and was surprised when Sammy didn't argue, giving him more reason to be concerned.

Nodding, both brothers helped each other up and began their trek through the caves. Dean had to follow his little brother's lead since he had found his way around earlier, but that didn't mean he was going to let the kid be the first one in danger. Any new area and Dean was immediately scouting it first before motioning Sammy to follow and show which direction to go next.

After several pauses to rest, they both saw light illuminating the next chamber and hurried towards it, careful not to make a sound in case the creature was still lurking around. Finally they made it to the opening with Dean and Sammy holding onto each other as they walked further away from the cave and into the fresh air.

"DEAN! SAMMY!" John shouted as he saw his boys stumbling from the rock face he'd just found. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, but was more than thankful for it. "Boys!" he cried out as he finally reached his sons and enveloped them boy into a strong hug.

"Oh my God, Dad…you have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Dean said wearily as he hugged both his Dad and his brother. Now he knew he could rest, everything would be alright now. "Dad, we need to get Sammy to…"

John pulled back only a bit to look into the faces of both his boys and shook his head. "We're getting both of you checked out… no arguments, got it?" he asked as he smiled at Dean. When he turned slightly to get a better look at Sammy, he ruffled his youngest son's hair before asking. "You tired kiddo?" Seeing the barely nod, he softened the hug and nodded. "Ok, son… just a little bit longer and…"

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John sat watching both his sons sleep while the night nurse made her rounds. He didn't think he'd ever get the sight of his baby boy passing out in his arms out of his head, and too be honest, he didn't think he wanted to. If he allowed himself to forget, then he'd forget how close they actually came to losing him – and that was unacceptable. Leaning back in his chair he looked up at the ceiling and once again thanked his precious wife Mary as well as whatever deity that had been watching over them, for getting them the help they needed as quickly as they had. The fire he had started had alerted those in town and had sent a rescue team into the area to make sure no one was caught close to the blaze. It hadn't taken long for them to be found and a rescue chopper to be dispatched to get all three Winchesters the help they needed. Now he was waiting for his oldest to wake up from his drug induced nap, and his youngest from… well, he was just waiting for him to wake up.

"_I'm sorry Mr. Winchester, but I'm having trouble understanding how the previous physician missed it."_

Those words even now sent cold chills throughout his body and once again he was thankful that someone or something was watching over his boys, especially his Sammy. Dean had cooperated for the first two days to deal with his injuries until the doctor admitted that the cranial bleed that his little brother was experiencing was making a firm prognosis difficult – they wanted to believe he would be fine, but it could just as easily be that he wouldn't wake up at all. That was when Dean began to show just how stubborn he really was by refusing to eat or sleep until they told him something definite about Sammy. It took John's permission, but finally a sedative was administered leaving John to sigil vigil by himself.

It was a couple of hours later when movement caught his eye, sending him rushing to the bedside and pushing the red button to call the nearest nurse. "Sammy?" he asked quietly as he grasped his son's hand and squeezed gently. "It's ok son… you're in the hospital, but you're going to be ok."

Confused, Sammy looked at his Dad before whispering, "Dean?"

"Dean's fine Sammy, the question is how are you?" John asked as he heard the doctor and nurse rush in.

"Tired and my head hurts Dad, but I'll be alright." Sammy croaked, gratefully accepting the ice chips his dad was feeding him. He saw a doctor and nurse but he didn't care, he just wanted to see his brother.

"Right here little brother, go back to sleep, ok?" Dean called out from the other bed, smiling groggily at Sammy, happy to see him awake. The doctor hadn't been confident Sammy would wake up, and if so would possibly have 'issues'. With the first issue taken care of, he was confident they could deal with any of the other and seeing the look on his father's face he knew the sentiment was shared.

"Yeah Sammy, you go back to sleep. We'll talk later son." John said while carding his fingers through his boy's hair, lulling him back to sleep. No matter what the outcome, he was confident they could deal with it together, and he wouldn't have it any other way.


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